Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-09-16
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
LIQUID MANURE.


The Neio England Farmer gives
this answer to correspondent
who inquiries as to the best meth
ods of applying liquid manure on
a farm: "The best method of saw
ing and using liquid manure we
have ever seen in practice is that
adopted by DR.. Jabez Fisher, of
Fltchburg, Mass. His stable, in
which ia kept a COW and a horse, is
quite a distance from his dwell
ing house, a field of several acres
lying between. The field has a
gentle slope, the stable being at the
lower side and the residence at the
upper. The wastes of the house,
together with the ram falling upon
the roof Of the barn, are carried
into the barn basement, which Is
made water tight by coats of
cement on bottom and sides. Once
or twice year the liquid is pumped
out and distributed over the field
from a water cart with sprinkler
attached. The cart is filed from
chain pump in the barn floor and
the outlet to the sprinkler is made
just large enough to allow the cart
to be emptied in going once across
the field up the slope. Many who
attempt to use liquid manure fail
from using it IN too concentrated
orm. 1t can hardly be used too
weak, except for the cost OF haul
ing so much water. DR.. Fisher
keeps bis field continually in grass
and gets heavy crops of excellent
hay.
"Mr. Henry Grew, of Hyde Park,
Mass, has applied liquid manure
successfully to orchard trees, by
pumping it from a cistern in th,
lowest part of his barn cellar and
distributing it under the trees
through faucet in a large cask
set upon wheels. Under excep.
tlOnal conditions liquid manuring
may be made to pay, if the liquid
is iudiciously applied, but from the
tact that, although the system has
long been recommended, especially
by foreign agricultural societies, it
has not come into general use in
this country, it is evident that it is
not very well adapted to the needs
of our American cultivatOrs. 1t
will not pay to use it on large
farms, or where the fields to be
manured are at a distance from the
source of supply. 1t cannot pay
to haul pure water far for agrl.
cultural purposes, and liquid ma
nure must be very largely COM
posed of pure waite. Solid horse
| manure will absorb all the urine
made by the animal, and the same
is partially true OF the solid ma.
nure, of other animals. Fresh ma
nure, if properly housed, will part
with much of its moisture By
evaporation, without waste of the
valuable elements, thus saving the
expense of hauling the surplus
water. Our practice has been
and our advice is, to use sufficient
bedding material for farm stock t
keep tue animals clean and com
Portable. 1t may be straw, damaged
hay, sawdust or dry peat, loan o.
sand. These will absorb thu
liquid, and will hold the valuable
portions, even though much of th'
water is evapOrated by exposure t
the air, or by gentle fermentation
In localities where grain is abun
dant, straw is one of the best anC
cheapest substances tor absorbing
the stable liquids. 1t is Otter
spread thickly over the CATTLE
| Yards, and in some cases pumps ar
set in the lowest part for pumping
the drainage over the top, thus
aiding the evaporation of the waite
and the decomposition OF the
straw